Clemson Scuba Club // Courtesy
Clemson Scuba Club puts their diving gear on to venture into the local lake with hopes of exploring underwater ecosystems.
When someone mentions Clemson University, your thoughts probably go to football pads before diving gear. However, the Clemson Scuba Club ensures that our campus has a network dedicated to scuba diving opportunities students may not have envisioned when deciding to attend the University.
Whether students have prior experience or have taken up a recent interest in the hobby, the Clemson Scuba Club connects new divers with certification resources while encouraging them to sharpen and practice their skills through diving education.
Clemson Scuba Club hosts a variety of underwater adventures, as well as on-land get-togethers, for members to participate in and engage with other divers.
“We dive wherever we can,” club president Zach Timmons told The Tiger. “We organize local trips to Lake Jocasse and Lake Keowee, as well as organizing destination dive trips to places like the Florida keys, the Georgia aquarium, the Cooper river, the Blue Quarry, Florida Springs and Jupiter Florida.”
“The Georgia aquarium dive gives club divers the exciting opportunity to dive with exotic ocean animals like whale sharks and manta rays,” Timmons continued.
Club events aren’t limited to underwater endeavors, though. The Clemson Scuba Club hosts cookouts, movie nights, club hikes, tailgates, bonfires, charity events and diving workshops in order to curate a close-knit environment for all scuba lovers to feel welcome.
One notable event that generated a lot of interaction between student divers was the trash cleanup partnership with the University of South Carolina Scuba Club.
Both scuba clubs suited up to dive into the litter-filled Lake Keowee, making it a competition to see which club could dive for the most trash, leaving the body of water changed for the better.
One of the club’s most popular events is its annual underwater pumpkin carving contest. The divers submerge pumpkins, as well as carving materials, and carve them 20 feet under Lake Keowee before choosing an ultimate winner for the best design.
Opportunities for many different types of diving are available through the club, including fossil diving, lionfish catching and exploring underwater wrecks.
The club not only dives for enjoyment and education purposes, but also for the benefit of the aquatic environment.
In order to contribute to the rehabilitation of underwater ecosystems, Clemson Scuba Club partners with the Islamorada Conservation and Restoration Education organization to assist with coral preservation and repair via diving trips in the Florida Keys.
Input from the surrounding Clemson area is also important for the club’s philanthropy.
“A key player in the success of our club is Robbie Bogan, owner of local dive shop Upstate Scuba,” club secretary Sommer Unzicker told The Tiger.
“Robbie shares his passion for diving by fostering a welcoming community and encouraging others to begin their diving journey,” Unzicker said. “His goal is to make the sport accessible to everyone, allowing more people to experience the joys of diving.”
Bogan’s mission pairs well with the overall purpose Clemson Scuba Club stands for, creating a safe space for student divers filled with newfound aquatic knowledge, environmental consciousness and tons of underwater fun.
You can find more information regarding Clemson Scuba Club on its Instagram @clemsonscuba.